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Immune response to orally consumed antigens and probiotic bacteria
Author(s) -
Chin James,
Turner Bernadette,
Barchia Idris,
Mullbacher Arno
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
immunology and cell biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.999
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1440-1711
pISSN - 0818-9641
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1711.2000.00883.x
Subject(s) - immune system , immunology , antigen , biology , ovalbumin , microbiology and biotechnology , probiotic , vaccination , immunization , bacteria , genetics
The gut mucosal system must fulfil conflicting roles in suppressing immune responses against orally fed antigens (tolerance) while still retaining the ability to respond to potential enteric pathogens. It must also, to a large degree, not mount an immune response against commensal enteric bacteria and the administration of large numbers of probiotic bacteria formulated as dietary supplements in food products. Contrary to this dogma, it has been found that feeding ovalbumin as a marker antigen, in association with selected probiotic bacteria, appears to prime for an intestinal immune response that is further augmented by skin vaccination. Skin immunization is known to stimulate a strong innate, humoral and cellular immune response. Such dominant immunogenic signals appear to override tolerogenic signals engendered by oral feeding of antigen. High‐dose antigen feeding stimulated a strong Th2‐dependent antibody response to skin vaccination but completely suppressed cytotoxic T cell responses. This was true even when ovalbumin was administered in conjunction with various selected probiotic bacteria. However, while yeast appeared to be better at priming for an enhanced humoral response, Lactobacillus fermentum and Staphylococcus carnosus were more effective in enhancing the postvaccinal lymphoproliferative response against ovalbumin.